Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1887-07-28
WASHINGTON COUNTY.

sent, Inc Ot lofty mountain peaks ulVcr-
sified with hills and valleys. threaded with
streams, and replete with
gorgeous landscapes and scenes of rug
ged grandeur and quiet beauty is most
beautiful for situation. Her limits con.
tain world of attractions to the geolo-
gist. the scientific tourist, the lover of
scenery and the seeker of
health, recreation or pleasure. She has
sites for a thousand mills, factories and
workshops that could be driven by water
power all the year round and that
thousand furnaces could not exhaust her
iron ore deposits In ten centuries, Is not
an extravagant assertion. Her forests
abound In the most valuable timber.
Her natural wealth is incalculable. Mill
ing, merchandising and farming repre-
sent our chief enterprises and industrial
employment Such concentration of
labor and capital is an unmixed evil,
positive detriment, an obstacle to prog
ress and development. No people win
or can prosper without diversity of av-
ocations and employments. despite the
almost hopeless prospect Of an independ-
ent livelihood from their calling. We
have a few mechanics, but, as our people
prefer buying what they use from abroad
they have no encouragement TO devote
their whole time to their trades. ask
you. as intelligent readers, what Is to
become Of us II there is not change of
affairs in the future. We lack for ener-
getic farmers and mechanics, also for
manufactures to manufacture all kinds
OF machinery and farming utensils.
Then our mechanics could find constant
employment, our farmers far better
price for their products. The farmer and
mechanic instead of being looked upon
as the bone and sinew Of our country are
looked upon as being the lowest grade
OF society. just remove those two clas-
ses from our nation and where would we
stand; | ask your intelligence where
would VIC stand to day2 Those hard
listed sons of-toil are class that ought
to be the most highly honored. Let us
remember that the great Omnipotent
Being hath said, "by the sweat of the
brow shalt thou cat bread" and from
this declaration there is no appeal. Oui
Creator, being IN Advise God, foresaw
the necessity Of labor to the fallen con.
dition Of man and provided this law to
meet the worlds demand.
Depending almost entirely upon tho
school fund the public school continues
on on average about four months out Of
the year, and with this meager educa.
tional facility the salaries Of our teachers
are contemplate, pitiful With the
Blair Educational Bill In full force, tho
salaries Of our teachers would be far
better and the standard of education In
the South, would be elevated; but in.
stead ofAhis, the general Indifference ia
education Is q burning shame, and a
most serious drawback TO the country
The swarms of loafers and deadbeats
who lounge about the streets or tramp
through the country are fast becoming
accomplished thieycs and vagabonds
They are burden and unmitigated curse
to society. The vagrancy law is q dead
letter, these idlers, instead of being com
PEELED to work, are either left severely
alone or are encouraged in their lazincss
Too many labor under the delusior
that they are destined to be great men
hence the professional avocations art
overcrowed; they can not descend tc
humble stations, which they would
adorn, and In which they might make
useful citizens. How amajority of those
brain laborers keep the wolf from thu
door Is a marvel to the world.
Washington county has On immense
tillable area susceptible Of the highes
improvement. It's adapted to all kind
of grain and grasses. The soil Is natu
rally generous and fruitful, but is bein,
worn out by q barbarous system of tillag
which is simply an assault and batter,
upon nature. The old fields, scratche,
over. for half century, glaring will
baroness, and washed with gullies, cry
for the fortilizing phosphates and magi
hand of intelligent culture. We coul,
have abundant harvests where there
now nothing but nakedness, thorns, this
ties and sedge. Instead Of this cultiva
tion, our farmers arc breaking into tn
beautiful forests, clearing and destroyin
their valuable timber, throwing the oil
fields aside to still wear away with th
corroding touch Of time. Deeper an
deeper those gullies are wearing ava
and their glittering sands rush on an
on until at last they are drifted into th
fathomless bottom Of the mighty deep.
| Perhaps. far back In the worlds hil
tory those distant mountains which ris
In sublime grandeur thousands of fet
above tho surrounding plains and hid
their lofty peaks in the clglds of heave
and bid defiance to the ?aging tempei
were the beds Of an unfathomable occar
and were heaved to their present altitud
by the powerful action of subterraneou
agency. Pcrchance. during the marc
Of past ages, those vcrdant hills an
those old fields that were worn out b
generations that have passed away, wei
buried beneath the saline waters Of ii
great deep and over those surroundiu
plains swan the horrid sea monster
No one can tell the manifold chang,
that the world has undergone since IL
power Of Divinity transformed the COZ